Alison Bettles

Alison Bettles

The home remains a deeply symbolic space. It acts as a shelter from outside forces as well as a space of the mind, one that inhabits an imagined as well as actual existence. As we encounter the manifestations of that space it affects our behaviour and our understanding of both our environment and ourselves. According to Gaston Bachelard, if that space is in some ways less than ideal the nature of the house will create a life that is warped or changed by its environment. A small or oppressive physical living space can make us feel tormented and stifled. Thus we are deeply influenced by our environment and we take on characteristics of the home and space we occupy

My photographic practice has consistently been connected within the familial and domestic space whilst questioning the relationship between the sculptural and the photographic.

I often use familiar and household objects and other materials creating ephemeral installations and setups where the home becomes a backdrop or theatre set for my picture making. I have questioned the role of the photograph, creating fictions by transforming an ordinary place or object into something sinister or even a place of wonder